Out Of Control
by AbiSnow1998
Summary: Sequel to "Tipping Point". Four years have passed since Lucille Tracy was tragically killed, and the family have moved on in those four years. But someone from Jeff Tracy's past has returned to haunt him, stalking and threatening his family. Powerless against him, how can he protect his sons from an unspoken threat, and his daughter from a man who sees her as damning?
1. Chapter 1 - Remember Him?

_Synopsis: Sequel to "Tipping Point". Four years have passed since Lucille Tracy was tragically killed, and the family have moved on in those four years. But someone from Jeff Tracy's past has returned to haunt him, stalking and threatening his family. Legally powerless against him, how can he protect his sons from an unspoken threat, and his daughter from a man who sees her as damning?_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Thunderbirds or characters or anyone you recognise.**

\- Violet -

Pulling on the end of the chains, floating helplessly against wretched seawater, was not in any way Violet's idea of a holiday. Well, she was on holiday until _he_ came and took her from her family.

Well now, she was going to die alone. No one knows that she is dying here, essentially. Trapped by chains on her ankles, and the water was seeping in quickly. Not seeping, _gushing_. The bitter feeling of salt at the back of her throat was painful, combined with how little she had eaten and drank in the past week or so was painful. She didn't have a clue how long she had been _here_ for.

It was also freezing cold. The air in the dungeon was rotten with decayed corpses and the nonexistent access to sunlight or natural heat sources was also evident, made all the more worse for Violet, who wore only her shorts and bra, having foolishly and fruitlessly given up her t-shirt to try and stem the flow of water that was becoming more and more rapid, power surging through it. The rusty bars above her were taunting her, laughing that she couldn't swim to safety. They were very much laughing that her only way of getting to them was just out of her reach, and the water was keeping it down, the key that would free her if only she could reach it!

Violet was scared, scared of dying in such a heartless and torturous manner. He had left her here to drown, having used her in an equally heartless and torturous manner, her love for Alan forcing her into submission. How could he do that, how could he do such a thing to her? How could he take her from her family, use her the way he did, beat her, and do it all in the name of his wife and unborn child? How could he stain their names with her blood?

Her only hope was that her family would find her quick enough. She had stolen a phone and called her brothers, who weren't eager to answer a phone call from an unknown number, but that's when _he_ found her, and left her here. She told them everything she could, and only time would tell if it was enough to save her.

She thought back, back to when the troubles began, and this was when life was simple, coping, forgiving. When they were carefree, a normal family. To when she was a _child._

And now this.

* * *

 _Three Months Earlier..._

Violet Tracy was tired. Exhausted, physically and mentally. It was very nearly late springtime, and Scott was due home in a few hours.

Violet had been in a Physical Education Class this afternoon, under the baking heat. Yet whilst her heart was a lot stronger than it was four years ago when it was first injured, she couldn't push herself too hard, and today, she may or may not have pushed herself a bit too far. Not dangerously, but enough for her to be tired out a lot quicker and easier than her peers. The midday sun had not been helping in the slightest.

At least the day was over, and she was now in the cool indoors of her own home. She smiled as she watched Gordon and Alan engaged in a furious water fight below her window, and thanked her lucky stars that she closed the window when they started because now they had spotted her watching them and diverted their attention to her. She tried to ignore them and focus on the horrible English Assignment due in for the next week, the last week. Between assignment final drafts and exams she was mentally exhausted.

In her final year at school, Violet and Virgil had devoted most of the daylight hours to vigorous work and revision, because these exams mattered. The end was so near and yet so far, but June was two months away and that is when they will go on a family holiday - a pastime they had not done for years.

Scott was in training for the Air Force in place of University. It was what he wanted to do, flying. His passion for planes, astronauts and flying got him through interviews, then physical tests showed what he could do, which was _a lot._ He was doing very well, and was coming home today, as Scott was currently residing at the Air Force base. He was allowed to come home until they determined whether, in September, he could begin Pilot Training.

John was finishing his schooling off too, preparing for University. He wanted to go down the astronomy and astronaut route, just like Father once did. He spent every waking hour preparing for this, with no one seeing more than a minute of him every few hours or so. Father was certain that this was not very healthy for his son, but John was eating well and whilst he was out, got a decent amount of fresh air.

Gordon was very lax about his education, as it came very naturally to him. He had practice exams this year, no real ones, but nonetheless, they were important as you had the chance to improve before the real things. He still swam a lot, making full use of the local swimming pool during this kind of weather.

Alan... still very young - Ten years old. Still in first school, yet like Gordon, it all came very naturally to him. He worked hard, and it all paid off in the end. He looked up to Scott, now more than ever since he is learning to fly. Alan wanted to do what Scott does.

"Scotty's home, Scotty's home!"

Violet looked up instantly, hearing the shouts of Alan and Gordon below them. Their furious water fight had come to a ceasefire to greet the arrival of a car down the lane, Scott's car. Violet could see the car, and knew her brothers weren't joking. Virgil and herself leapt up from their seats and rushed down the stairs.

"Hey Sprout, Fish Face!" Scott jibed, dropping his duffel bag that he had hung over his shoulder and ruffling the hair of his two youngest brothers. His hair was everywhere, he looked very fit and healthy, and it was clear that the Air Force had done something about how he walked and stood. Besides, he looked remarkably handsome in his training uniform.

"Hey Scott!" Virgil called running from the house. He would have to fight for his brother, because the elder Tracy was being weighed down by the younger two. He eventually did, and high-fived his middle brother.

"Welcome home, son." Their father greeted.

"Thanks Dad," Scott replied, finally free of his little brother, wrapping his arm over Alan's shoulders. "It's good to be home."

"Hey, Scott." Violet greeted. Scott pulled his arm away from Alan and pulled his only sister into an embrace. "Good to see you."

"How's Spirit? Still going strong?"

She shrugged, "pretty much."

John emerged from his bedroom for longer than five minutes and remained down with the rest of his family for the entire afternoon. It was an enjoyable affair, and the family didn't suspect that for the past three years, someone had been plotting against them.

The Tracy's were all going out for a celebratory meal, something they also hadn't done for years and it was fantastic - A welcome home present for Scott. Alan was listening with rapt attention to Scott about the planes at the airfield, in awe and admiration. Virgil and Violet were revising what they remembered between themselves. John was being thinky about his own exams. Gordon was just eating his food, chipping into the conversation his father, Scott and Alan were having.

That was, until they were leaving.

"Hello, Tracy. Remember me?"

The greasy voice sounded from behind the family as they left the restaurant, smiling and laughing between themselves. Their father, who walked just behind his six children, and all seven of them turned around to listen to the voice. They found a man stood before them, casually stood and smoking a cigarette. He was very lax, hardened and was very imposing.

"Eleven years... seven months and... twenty-three days ago." He took a step closer every time he said a number. "Memory clear now, Tracy?"

The Tracy patriarch nodded slowly, but turned to his curious children behind him. "Go to the car, I'll meet you there." He handed his keys to Scott, and Violet started walking away. She felt very self conscious, especially the way the man was watching her, how he looked at her. Virgil asked who he was, and everyone shrugged.

"You're a lucky man, Jeff. She's very pretty, just like your wife."

All six of them turned around at that comment, true they couldn't hear it much, and then Violet felt even worse. Scott opened the car they had arrived in, and waited for everyone to get in. Scott didn't seem happy, but contained his anger and slammed the door shut behind him as he sat in.

"I don't know who that is, or how he knew Dad, but I don't like him." Gordon grumbled. Alan asked again who it was, but no one knew the answer. Violet watched quietly as her father turned around and walked away from the man, who was shouting something to him. Her father had his fists clenched, and said nothing to the children as he drove away, the man sauntering along the footpath in their direction.

"No one, Scott. Someone I used to know."

Something told Violet that there was something he was not telling them, something that made this man more dangerous than one would think.

 **And here I present to you the first chapter of the second instalment of what I call the "Tipping Point" series, although it is probably absolute crap right now. I hope you like it so far. And looking back on what goes on later in the story, I may have to change the rating but I'll see when the time comes. For now, T it is.**

 **So, please review, kicking my story off to a good start? Please?**


	2. Chapter 2 - Followed

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

* * *

"Father? Father, some letters came for -"

Violet stopped as she entered the office of her father, realising that he was not in here. Violet instead decided that the best and easiest thing to do would be to leave the letters somewhere easy for him to find himself. After all, he was the one they were addressed to, not her.

Standing in front of the very untidy but somewhat organised mess also known as Jeff Tracy's desk, she tried to find the best place for her to put the said letters but just placed them neatly in front of the seat where her father would return to, but something caught her eye. Something on the bookshelf as she was walking away caught her eye, it looked so out of place. It was a brown cardboard folder amongst thick, strong, durable lever-arched files - something just wasn't right with this one, and curiosity was a dangerous thing. Violet approached it nonetheless, and read the writing on its side. _Jacob Paxton._ Violet frowned, but before she could reach the folder for a closer inspection, her father was coming through the door, a steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee in his hand.

"Violet, is something wrong?"

Violet indicated the desk. "No father, just some letters for you..." Violet wasted no time in leaving the room, remembering that name. That one.

 _Jacob Paxton_.

Retreating to her bedroom, she pulled out her laptop and did something that the nagging voice in the back of her voice was telling her _not_ to do, and look further into a name regarding something she found in her father's office. Out of all of them, she was the least likely to pry in her father's business, her and John that was. The fact that she read a name and the folder and was jumping into finding out who it was.

And surprisingly, results came up which she wasn't expecting.

"Jacob Paxton - Sentenced to eleven years in prison after breaking and entering into the home of Jefferson and Lucille Tracy..." She read the first line and caught sight of the picture, realising that the man in the picture was the man who her father spoke to not even a week ago, the one who let out a sly comment towards her. It didn't take her long to do the maths on that eleven years he must have served, because the article was dated nearly twelve years ago. Violet was four at that logic, and then she realised.

A memory long forgotten, came crashing back.

 _"Mummy!"_

 _"Violet, go - go call your father, call for help -"_

 _"I'm scared, Mummy!"_

 _"I know, baby, I know, but if you get Daddy then everything will be alright, okay?"_

 _"I don't want to leave you!"_

 _"You won't leave me, I won't leave you."_

Violet suddenly came to a horrifying conclusion.

That night, Violet didn't remember much. Violet could only remember her mother's frantic pleas for her to get her father. Violet was panicking, but was locked away in the cellar of the house by the intruder. Violet couldn't do anything but cry as she heard her mother from behind the door and upstairs until she found the phone. She called her father, who returned home instantly and freed Violet from the cellar. Police and ambulances arrived and after Violet had a good long look at the man, she had to tell so many people that it was him. She got a _good long look_ at that man that night, and Violet thought she would never see him again. She thought she would never see him again, and eventually forgot all about it. Especially since months later they were graced with Alan's birth, and Violet and Virgil were now middle brother and sister.

"Whatcha looking at there, Vi?"

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Virgil enter the room behind her.

"Just... disturbing news."

"What news?" Virgil slouched on his bed, letting out a deep and exasperated sigh.

"That man last week... I thought I recognised him, and I do."

"Who is he?" Virgil sat straight up at her words.

"Apparently, Jacob Paxton." She turned her laptop screen towards Virgil, who leapt up and read the article. "He used to work for Dad, it says here."

"That's him? The one that broke in?"

"Seems that prison has given him quite a hard time..."

Virgil huffed. "I wouldn't worry. He's got a criminal record, he does anything remotely related to crime, he gets put back in prison almost instantly."

"I suppose..."

Violet thought of little else that evening.

* * *

Violet was heading home one day after an early finish day for her (study leave), silently pondering her thoughts as to how the hell she will survive her exams whilst searching for a job. Virgil had one, part time at a local restaurant, where he is on pot wash. Violet was sorely tempted to join him in his job there, since he enjoys the company of the people he works with. He even went to his first Christmas "do" last December, and dressed up as Darth Vader for the 60/70/80's theme they had going on. Violet had looked around for jobs but no one was too eager to hire at the moment, so Virgil was _very_ lucky to have a job at the moment.

Violet felt someone wrap their arms over her shoulder. "Guess who?"

"Max." Violet smiled as her friend walked beside her, leaning closer to her with an arm still around her shoulder. She wasn't sure whether she liked how close he was, but either way...

"Listen, I don't mean to alarm you, but someone's following you." Max whispered into her ear. Neither stopped walking, but Violet took a deep breath without slowing down or hastening.

"Oh boy..." She sighed. "Know who it is?"

"Nope. I just saw them watch you, it's the gentleman who walks past the corner shop with a paper."

"Him?"

Violet tried to picture him. Yes, she knew who he meant, but she couldn't place a face because he always wore a hat. _The same hat that Paxton had the other week_. No. It couldn't be him. Besides, the man looked a lot older than Paxtpn. He wore three quarter trousers and a sleeveless shirt. Surely she would recognise it?

"So what do I do?" Violet asked.

"Follow my lead."

Max seemed to know how to handle being followed, because she was so nervous. She didn't want to be caught unawares, and the fact that she didn't notice that she was being followed just showed how much danger she could have been in if it _was that man_. If it was him, then she would have been caught out so badly that bad things could have happened. _Bad things meaning what almost happened to her mother, happened to her._ Violet was led away, a fake and acted smile on her face, down towards a snicket that was fairly concealed yet out in the open. She watched as Max looked around, a rather genuine (or really good fake) smile plastered on his own face. The two leaned against a wall and spoke with each other in hushed whispers, loud enough for someone who was eavesdropping to be heard, but quiet enough for people who were minding their own business to ignore. Violet felt as though someone was watching, and unconvinced. But was that just paranoia?

"Kiss me."

She said that without thinking, and Violet watched as Max looked from the snicket entrance back to her, confusion and surprise etched onto his face. "What?"

"Just do it, like you did before..." Violet remembered back to that first time they kissed, nearly three years ago. Max didn't speak to her for at least a fortnight afterwards, and when he did, he could only apologise for his actions and was ashamed of it. He thought that he took advantage of her, since she had been grieving over how her father had acted towards her. She tried to tell him this was unwarranted because she enjoyed it, and the two became close again, the first real friend either of them had.

Max hesitated before he did, but when he did, that same warm feeling rushed through her. It definitely didn't feel _exactly_ like the first time, since it wasn't intuition that drew him, it was instruction. He pulled away slowly, looked around, and turned towards the entrance to the snicket and pulled her out of it. There was no one there, and Violet had officially never been more relieved, but could she be without it becoming dangerous?

* * *

 **Yeah, at this point it isn't too good. I have a plot and story written out, but any suggestions are welcome! Please review :)**


	3. Chapter 3 - Something Very Wrong

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

* * *

Violet, once home, had decided against telling her family, when they arrived, of the situation earlier. Besides that, nothing _really_ happened. Not with the man or Max, so by any instance they didn't really need to know anything about what happened that afternoon. Not that anyone was home anyway. It was just emptiness in the house when she arrived home. The house was still in disarray - there was Alan's toy cars and Gordon's old boats on the coffee table, there was a stack of paper (Virgil preferred this paper for his art) and a folder for John's exam revision.

That was until someone shoved a letter through the door.

Violet had been upstairs, briefly packing away her school things and pulling out her revision notes on Alleles and DNA when the sound of something being pushed through the letterbox startled her. It was late afternoon, the postman had been that morning (the letters that arrived that morning were just on the radiator because Violet scanned through them). The fact that something had been pushed through at nearly 4pm was concerning. Creeping down the stairs and casting her glance at the lone letter at the foot of the door, she stalked over to it hesitantly, unsure whether she should or shouldn't touch it. Should she?

Violet picked it up. No addressee, no return address, just blank, but something was definitely in it.

Sliding her finger under the plastic sticky seal, ( _still loose, recently sealed_ ), Violet opened it with ease and allowed the contents to slip out into her hands, unknowing and a little concerned at what it could possibly be. There was a note, and some very shiny paper behind it. The note, in very fancy calligraphy considering its message, was very unnerving. _Max. Erin. I'm watching them._

Flipping over to the photo, and it can't have been more than a few days old. The scene was the path by the corner shop, the one where Max suspected the person following them came from, and it was of Violet and Max as he showed her a picture himself. The image he was showing wasn't visible, but Violet remembered it because there was a boy who had fallen down the few stairs to the corner shop and scraped his knee in the background. She remembered it because it was a picture of Erin and Max at an awards show at her school. _She remembered because Max said she was better than ever, and thanked her for it._

The next thought that occurred to Violet was panic. She couldn't let anyone see this. Innocent as it was, it proved that _someone_ was following her and _someone_ clearly did not have the best of intentions if they were posting unmarked letters through doors. Rushing back into her bedroom, she shoved the photo and note into her calendar and vowed to dispose of it as soon as possible. Besides, Dad would be arriving home soon.

* * *

 _The Next Day:_

"Virgil, you cannot be serious!" Violet exclaimed as the twins walked down the footpath to their house.

"I'm deadly serious, Vi. What if this escalated?" Virgil countered.

"But that... It's ridiculous. Mr Paxton just got _out_ of prison. He wouldn't want to go back _in_ in a hurry, would he?"

"Depends on if he's caught."

"What you're suggesting is more ridiculous than when Gordon covered Scott in icing sugar at Christmas."

"It is not, Vi, and you know it too."

Violet sighed, "What makes you think that -" Violet stopped at they approached the house. Virgil took another step and realised that she had stop. He asked what was wrong, and Violet pointed to the front door, "What's that?" It was ajar, and no one else was home yet. Were they? Violet didn't think so. The twins frowned. Violet wanted to stay where she was. Virgil had no such inhibitions, and it was clear that he was both worried and angry.

"What are you doing?!" She hissed at him as Virgil took steps closer to the house.

"What do you think Violet?" He retorted, reaching for a lone baseball bat the children had left outside. He didn't waste any time in prodding the door wide open and proceeded inside.

"Virgil! Get out!" She hissed. He didn't listen. "We should call Dad!"

Violet gave up, picking up the other bat and following him inside. The front room was a mess. Cushions everywhere, cupboards yawning, books all over the place. Virgil was heading upstairs, after whispering "No one in here.", referring to the ground floor in general, or so she assumed. Violet made her way to the cellar, stepping on glass and sharply looking down. It was a family photo of all 8 of them, Alan only a baby at the time, and it was one to treasure. Violet picked it up and wiped away the shards of glass, putting the photo back into its original place on the bookshelf, feeling dismayed that it was broken. Concerned because someone _had_ broken in and wrecked everything, more specifically a precious family portrait, she continued heading towards the cellar, opening the door and making her way slowly down the stairs. Nothing, at all.

"Nothing down here, Virge." She announced, climbing the stairs, closing the door and heading upstairs to meet her twin. She was slightly concerned that he didn't respond to her.

 _Where is he?_

She wondered this as she stepped into the threshold of their bedroom, tapping the door and giving it a gentle prod with her own bat. It creaked loudly, making Violet wince and worry, anyone in the house would know where she was now. She took a moment, scanning the scene, before realising that something was very, _very_ wrong. "Virgil!" She cried out, dropping the bat and rushing to the unconscious Virgil on the floor. His bat was by his right hand, and Violet was concerned that Virgil had come to some serious harm. She shook his shoulders, repeating his name, trying to get him to respond but was unsuccessful in doing so.

 _Wait - Someone's here! How else is he like this?!_

But by the time she realised this, someone had struck her over the back of the head, knocking her to the ground unconscious, falling beside her brother. Her head spun as she looked at Virgil before her vision faded to black, taking her from reality.

 **Yet another filler. It's infuriating trying to think of things to happen and then... nope. Please review?**


	4. Chapter 4 - Gone

**Disclaimer - See Chapter 1**

* * *

Violet's memory was fuzzy, and her head throbbed something awful. The ringing in her ears rang through her brain, confusing her immensely. What happened? Violet was unsure. She tried to recollect what time it was, and so what she was doing a little while ago. She opened her eyes wide enough to see that she was laid, face down, on her living room floor. She groaned as she moved her head to the left, but the throbbing seemed to worsen when she did so. Violet heard voices as the ringing died away, deep voices speaking in quick succession, and whatever it was they were saying, it was not in English. Or at least, any kind of accent that she could understand. Violet tried to move her aching arms, but quickly found that they were tied securely behind her back. Unsure and her fear rising fast, she tried calling out so someone.

"Vir...il..." she moaned, trying to look around for her twin, to hear a response. "Vir..."

Pounding footsteps rang through the kitchen, faster and closer towards her. She tried to get a good view of who it was, this _intruder_ , but yelped in pain when she felt whoever it was grab her hair which had been tied back in a neat ponytail. She tried to recuperate from the pain by kneeling up as her ankles were not bound. She bit her lips to try and distract her from the man's brutal grip. It was painful, but when he had dragged her to the kitchen where the other man was, she was yanked forcefully backwards so she could kneel down. She could hear her breathing and daren't turn around and face the men as they spoke. What she didn't expect was their change in dialect.

"Why are we doing this, again?" one voice moaned, seemingly sitting down lazily. "And what are we waiting for?"

"Shut up and stick to the plan. We wait for the van, then we get the girl and get out."

Violet trembled in fear, realising that these weren't common thieves, they weren't petty criminals, they were deadly serious, and deadly dangerous. _Oh god, someone help... Where's Virgil?_

The thought crossed her mind and all she could think of was Virgil. Where was he? She suddenly remembered him, unconscious laid next to her in that bedroom. Where was he now? Was he alright? Was he _awake?_ So many questions, and no answers for them.

"Where's... where's my brother?" She asked, carefully and quietly. Part of her wanted a response, part of her regretted speaking when in such a situation.

"Shut up, you insolent _bitch._ " The man that stormed over to her had what looked like a shotgun in his arms. Violet felt the blunt end of the butt strike her cheek, and she was certain it drew blood. Violet cried out in pain, and doubled over, vowing to stay silent for the time being.

"Wait -" The other man started, standing up before speaking back in that language again, majorly confusing Violet to the brink. She was terrified enough, and now they were plotting against her. She felt vulnerable and scared that this was happening in _her own home._ She dared to turn around and look at the men, stood by the curtains and debating something. She frowned with uncertainty until she was certain that they were scared. Someone was coming, and they were scared of detection. And this was true, but horrible for Violet. Fear means panic, panic means irrational choices, irrational choices means _bad things._

"We've gotta get out of here -" That was all Violet heard before the man with the shotgun rushed over to her, and hit her in the back of the head with the shotgun, hard.

"Vi...et? Vi...l?"

She was back here again. Except now she couldn't see. Darkness enveloped her and her eyes just hadn't adjusted. She suddenly remembered what had happened previously, and tried moving. She personally wasn't moving, and felt coats above her. She knew _exactly_ where she was.

"Sc...ott? Dad?" She spoke slowly as her head spun, making her dizzy.

"Violet? Is that you?" That was distinctly the voice of her father. Violet still had her hands tied behind her back, but her legs were also _still_ not bound. She kicked the door to the cupboard she was trapped in, trying to direct her father towards her. He should be able to hear this, but her main concern was Virgil and where he was. Where was he? That hit to his head must have been pretty painful if he was knocked out without making a sound. The doorknob rattled and blinding light streamed into the cupboard as it opened, her father's silhouette casting a shadow over her. "Violet!" Her father knelt down and picked her up, removing her from the claustrophobia-inducing space and into the living room where he unbound her wrists. Violet groaned and flexed them as she answered her father's questions. But there came a moment when she had to ask _him_ one.

"Virgil - Where's Virgil?" Violet asked, her voice shaking with panic and fear. Virgil's head was hit pretty badly and if he isn't already awake!

"He isn't here?"

"He... he was on the floor, unconscious or... I don't know!" Violet implored. Scott had run into the room by this point, looking very worried. He looked out of breath and concerned, like he doubted what she was saying. He doubted what she was saying because his words contradicted her own. His words struck fear to her heart. Virgil wasn't in the house. Virgil wasn't here.

The world seemed to slow down as she realised that they hadn't taken her.

Then John, Gordon and Alan, when they were certain that no one else was in the house and the police had been summoned, found something.

They had found Virgil's phone outside.

He was gone.

 **Just a quick update to say that I will be on holiday so no update next Friday. The week, after, I promise!**

 **Plus I apologise for just how crap my work actually is.**


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